Chilled Beverage Container

ABSTRACT

A chilled beverage container with dual concentric cylinder sides; an outer cylinder for holding the beverage, and an inner cylinder for holding a coolant where the inner cylinder is sealed such that the coolant cannot mix with the beverage to dilute it or alter the taste.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) from co-pending; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/279,365, by Scott Negley, “Chilled Beverage Container”, filed Oct. 20, 2009, which is incorporated by reference for all purposes.

U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS

This application does not involve any federally sponsored work and no work on the invention was done under government contract or while in the government employ.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to liquid containers, and more particularly to chilled beverage containers.

2. Background of the Invention

People enjoy beverages served at a wide range of temperatures. One popular way to enjoy certain beverages is near the freezing point of water, what is commonly referred to as “Ice Cold.” This is often accomplished by chilling the beverage before service, and/or by serving the beverage with ice. By chilling the beverage before service, the beverage is at the coldest point at the time of service, and begins to warm to the surrounding temperature. By the time a person finishes their beverage, the final sips can be considerably above the ideal service temperature. A common method of countering the warming of the beverage is to serve the beverage ice in the container. This works well enough for beverages which will not be affected by the addition of water from the melting ice. However this method is highly undesirable for beverages that are altered by the addition of water e.g. beer and wine, etc. Another method of solving this problem is by keeping the ice separate from the beverage. One example incorporates a double walled mug with chilling liquid built into the walls. But this requires advanced planning to chill the mug long before it is needed. Another example is the use of plastic bags dropped into the pitcher. This is often done in bars in warmer climates so that the last beer in the pitcher stays chilled. The problem is that customers do not like this as they believe the bag of ice is reducing the amount of beverage served in the pitcher.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an individual serving chilled beverage drinking container with bottom opening chilling cylinder in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cutaway view of an individual serving chilled beverage drinking container with bottom opening chilling cylinder in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an individual serving chilled beverage drinking container with top opening chilling cylinder in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention as viewed from a lower angle than shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a multi-serving chilled beverage container in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of an alternate version of an individual serving chilled beverage drinking container in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of an alternate version of an individual serving chilled beverage drinking container in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides a container such as a mug, glass, or pitcher for drinking or serving a chilled beverage, such as beer, wine or soda for example. The container keeps the beverage chilled without it being diluted with water from melting ice or corrupting the taste with other coolants. In addition since the coolant is kept separate, it would be possible to use coolants other than ice or ice-water, to allow beverages to be kept at below freezing temperatures. In one embodiment, the coolant may be a salt-water-ice mixture which keeps the mug at a temperature near or below 32° Fahrenheit for purposes of serving and maintaining a desirable temperature for a frozen beverage, such as a margarita.

In the preferred form, a mug comprises an internal cylinder for containing an ice-water mixture or other coolant, a larger external cylinder for containing the beverage, co-axially aligned and thus surrounding an internal cylinder, and a base for holding or supporting the cylinders near the lower end of the cylinders. In the preferred embodiment, the larger external cylinder opens to the top but is sealed at the bottom by the base and the walls of the internal cylinder creating a water-tight seal. In the preferred embodiment, the external cylinder is constructed of plastic, glass, ceramic or crystal and the internal cylinder is comprised of stainless steel or other essentially inert material with temperature conductivity comparable to stainless steel. In the preferred embodiment, the internal cylinder protrudes down beyond the base, and is open at the lower end, below the base. A removable cap, with an optional gasket or seal is attachable to the internal cylinder's lower end. The upper end of the cylinder is sealed as well. The upper end's seal may be removable as well, but is most preferably sealed or molded closed. The external cylinder may extend beyond the base to a point lower than the removable cap of the internal cylinder to provide a flat lower surface to rest on a table.

While the preferred embodiment described in the preceding description states the cylinders are aligned co-axially, as is illustrated in the figures accompanying the application, one skilled in the art would understand that the inner cylinder could be any shape or orientation that would maintain a large surface contact with the beverage and allow access to a removable seal for replenishment of the coolant.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a perspective view and a cutaway view, respectively, of an individual serving chilled beverage drinking container in the form of what is generally referred to as a “mug.” This mug has a bottom opening chilling cylinder in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The mug (1) is comprised of two concentric cylinders, and external hollow cylinder (20) and an internal hollow cylinder (10). The cylinders are joined and supported by a base (30) in such a fashion as to produces an open space between the inner walls of the external hollow cylinder (10) and the outer walls of the internal hollow cylinder (10) in which can reside the beverage. The exact dimensions and shape vary to accommodate different serving desires. The bottom of the inner hollow cylinder (10) is sealed with a removable cap (12). The cap (12) may be attached in a number of fashions which allow it to be removed such as screwed on, snapped in place, or held by friction. The top of the inner hollow cylinder (11) can be sealed either by molding the end, or by pacing a cap similar to that found on the bottom (12). In this embodiment, the external cylinder (20) extends below the base and below the inner cylinder to function as a standing base (14) which allows the mug to set securely on a flat surface. A plurality of handles (25) provides a convenient method to hold the mug.

FIG. 3 shows the same embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, but from a lower perspective view. In this view the opening through the base (30) is clearly visible. The cap (12) is shown in its removed state allowing access to the interior of the inner hollow cylinder (10) for placing coolant within. Further, from this angle, the lower end of the external hollow cylinder (20) can be seen to extend below the base (30) to provide a standing base (14) to rest the container on a flat surface.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a multi-serving chilled beverage container in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. This multi-serving chilled beverage container is illustrated in the form of what is generally referred to as a “pitcher.” This pitcher has a bottom opening chilling cylinder in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The pitcher (2) is comprised of two concentric cylinders, and external hollow cylinder (20) and an internal hollow cylinder (10). The cylinders are joined and supported by a base (30) in such a fashion as to produces an open space between the inner walls of the external hollow cylinder (10) and the outer walls of the internal hollow cylinder (10) in which can reside the beverage. The exact dimensions and shape vary to accommodate different serving desires. The walls of the cylinders need not be parallel or straight. In fact, the external hollow cylinder (20) is shown with a decorative curve on the lower end which flows into the base (30). The bottom of the inner hollow cylinder (10) is sealed with a removable cap (12). The cap (12) may be attached in a number of fashions which allow it to be removed such as screwed on, snapped in place, or held by friction. In this situation, the standing base (14) is not simply an extension of the external cylinder, but a more distinct element. As one skilled in the art would appreciate, there are several ways to form the standing base (14) to provide sufficient support to rest the container on a flat service in a stable manner. As a multi-serving container is often used to dispense single servings into other containers, an optional spout (40) is shown. A plurality of handles (25) provides a convenient method to hold and pour the pitcher.

FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of an alternate version of an individual serving chilled beverage drinking container in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. This individual serving chilled beverage container is illustrated in the form of what is generally referred to as “stemware.” As one skilled in the art is aware, stemware comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and configurations. As in the other figures, FIG. 5 is illustrative of only one possible configuration and is not to be construed as limiting the invention to the shapes, sizes or configurations specifically illustrated. In the stemware illustrated, the external hollow cylinder curves in to join directly to the inner hollow cylinder. In this arrangement the external hollow cylinder and the base are a single element. The cap is illustrated as extending into and functioning as the stem and the standing base. If the stem was not part of the cap, then it would have to be removable to allow access to the cap, or the upper end of the inner hollow cylinder would have to open to provide access to the internal cavity for inserting or removing the coolant.

FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of an alternate version of an individual serving chilled beverage drinking container in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. This individual serving chilled beverage container is illustrated in the form of what is generally referred to as a “beer glass.” As one skilled in the art is aware, beer glasses come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and configurations. As in the other figures, FIG. 6 is illustrative of only one possible configuration and is not to be construed as limiting the invention to the shapes, sizes or configurations specifically illustrated. In the beer glass illustrated, the cap is illustrated as functioning as the standing base.

The diagrams, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, are provided as examples and should not be construed to limit other embodiments within the scope of the invention. For instance, containers are illustrated as mugs, pitchers, stemware, and beer glasses but could also be cups, standing pitchers, punch bowls, etc. Handles, spouts, spigots, lids, stems and/or stands may be added to or removed from the containers to mimic the shapes and functions of many types of beverage containers already known to those skilled in the art. Containers may be enlarged or reduced to allow for more or less volume of beverage and/or chilling mediums. Although it should be noted that a certain ratios should be maintained between the volumes of the beverage and the chilling mediums to maintain desired temperatures for desired time frames depending on the particular usage contemplated in a particular situation. Such information is beyond the scope of this application.

The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications. 

1. A chilled beverage container comprising: a hollow inner cylinder with an open end for receiving a coolant; a hollow external cylinder which encompasses the inner cylinder; a base for supporting the two cylinders such that the axis of the two cylinders is substantially parallel and the space between the two cylinders is sealed at the lower end.
 2. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, further comprising: a removably attached cap for closing the open end of the inner cylinder.
 3. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the inner cylinder is comprised of stainless steel.
 4. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the inner cylinder is comprised of material with a high thermal conductivity.
 5. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the outer cylinder is comprised of material with a low thermal conductivity.
 6. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the base is part of the outer cylinder.
 7. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the both the top and bottom ends of the hollow inner cylinder are open.
 8. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the open end of the hollow inner cylinder is the top of the inner cylinder.
 9. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the open end of the hollow inner cylinder is the bottom of the inner cylinder; and the inner cylinder passes through the base such that the open end is below the base.
 10. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 8, wherein: the outer cylinder extends beyond the base to allow the lower rim to function as a standing base for the container.
 11. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the removably attached cap forms the lower standing base for the container.
 12. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, further comprising: a stem between the base and a lower standing base.
 13. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of handles.
 14. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 8, wherein: the removably attached cap forms the stem and lower standing base for the container.
 15. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 8, wherein: the inner cylinder extends substantially below the base to form the stem of the container.
 16. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the coolant comprises ice and water.
 17. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the coolant comprises ice, water and salt.
 18. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the coolant comprises a liquid coolant.
 19. A chilled beverage container, as described in claim 1, wherein: the coolant comprises a chemical reactant coolant.
 20. A method of serving a chilled beverage comprising: using a two cavity serving container; wherein the two cavities are configured such that one is an inner cavity and the other is an outer cavity; placing a coolant in the inner cavity; sealing the inner cavity; placing the beverage in the outer cavity; leaving the outer cavity of the container in an unsealed state. 